Attorney General Letitia James announced that she is suing the chemical companies responsible for producing harmful per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) because of the pollution they have created for New York.
“Big companies like 3M and DuPont knowingly sold toxic products that threatened New Yorkers’ health and polluted our environment for decades. It’s time for them to pay for the damage they caused,” James said in a press release.
The other companies included in the lawsuit are EIDP Inc., Chemours Company Inc. and Corteva Inc. 3M and DuPont began manufacturing PFAS in the 1940s and they are used for water and stain-resistant fabrics, water-repellent clothing, food packaging, non-stick cookware, cosmetics and other consumer products.
James said that the companies knew early on that the chemicals were toxic and accumulated in humans and the environment. The press release said that in 1981 DuPont monitored 50 female employees that were exposed to PFAS through one of their products. The data showed that two of the seven pregnant women had babies with eye and nostril defects. Despite knowing this, the company continued to manufacture PFAS chemicals.
The lawsuit alleges that the chemicals have damaged the environment in New York due to their persistent nature and inability to be broken down. The group of chemicals has been called “forever chemicals.” While the companies have phased out the use of certain PFAS chemicals, James said they failed to warn consumers about the risk of using products containing PFAS. Additionally, the replacements for the chemicals contain similar toxic properties, she said in the press release.
Filed in state court in Albany, the lawsuit seeks to force the companies to fund environmental cleanup efforts in New York and to warn consumers about their products.
DuPont, 3M, Corteva and Chemours didn’t immediately respond to Thursday messages seeking comment.
Last year, DuPont, Chemours and Corteva, agreed to pay New Jersey up to $2 billion to settle environmental claims stemming from PFAS.
Exposure to PFAS chemicals is linked to decreased fertility, developmental effects and delays in children, increased risk of some cancers, reduced ability of the body’s immune response and increase cholesterol, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The lawsuit specifically mentions the use of sewage sludge on farmland, which has contributed to the spreading of PFAS in the environment. PFAS get into the wastewater treatment plants through their use in households then the PFAS remain in biosolids which is the end-product of the wastewater treatment process.
“As a result, biosolids used as fertilizer on New York’s agricultural lands and disposed of in landfills have contributed to the contamination of soil and water in the state,” the court documents read.
However, a 2025 Spectrum News 1 investigation found the New York state Department of Enviornmental Protection plans to double the amount of sludge spread of New York farmland. Last December, the state DEC said they would increase monitoring of PFAS in sludge and work to find the source of the chemicals. The DEC has cited source control of PFAS as their main goal for reducing the chemicals in biosolids.
New York lawmakers have proposed a moratorium on the spreading of biosolids, but the bill has stalled in the legislature.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.